The electronic industry continues to seek products that are lighter, faster, smaller, multi-functional, more reliable and more cost-effective. In order to meet the requirement of the electronic industry, circuit chips should be more highly integrated. In some practical applications, such as personal audio players, cellular telephones, hand help global positioning systems, and hand held video games, it can be desirable to combine several different types of electronic integrated circuit devices in a single package. Particularly for mobile communications devices, for example, it may be desirable to include in a single package a digital processor, an analog device, and a memory device. However increasing the density of integration of chips may be expensive and have technical limitations.
It is possible to stack one die over another in a stacked die package, although the interconnections of the several die can be complex. Therefore, three-dimensional (3-D) type semiconductor packaging techniques have been developed and used. In general, package stacks made by stacking a plurality of packages and stacked chip packages made by stacking a plurality of chips in a package have been used.
A further challenge for packages having a variety of die types is raised by the fact that not all die are “good”, and just one “bad” die in a stacked die package results in a failed package and wasted “good” die. Package stacks may be manufactured by stacking packages that have already passed the necessary tests for their functions. Therefore, the yields and reliability of these package stacks may be higher than those stacked chip packages manufactured by stacking a plurality of chips without being tested. However, the package stacks may be thicker as compared with stacked chip packages, because of the thickness of each individual stacked package.
Thus, a need still remains for an integrated circuit packaging system with thin profile. In view of the technical challenges associated with combining multiple technologies in a single package, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems. In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is critical that answers be found for these problems. Additionally, the need to save costs, improve efficiencies and performance, and meet competitive pressures, adds an even greater urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.